Red, if you've a mind to dip into Heinlein again, I'd recommend <i>The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress</i> first. The moon is a penal colony which revolts from Earth by lobbing rocks (good science here--electromagnetic cannon &c.) and it's an anarchy controlled by Authority which doesn't care. They argue on how to set up a state with minimal interference.

And then perhaps <i>Citizen of the Galaxy</i> which has a nice story line about a kid who was sold into slavery, raised by a beggar who was really an agent to counteract slavery, and who, he finds out, is heir to a huge fortune which was hijacked by his uncle whom he boots out and uses to combat slavery. It's a juvie but lots of fun. Read it three times or so, recently as an adult.

Mikhail T. Kalashnikov wrote:Sorry Commissar, I wasn't trying to be harsh, more like sarcastic, but my aversion to smilies prevented me from putting a little winkie thing at the end of my "Leave me alone" comment.

I hope you will forgive my transgression. And might I say that your coat has a wonderful sheen to it today, a distinguishing trait that only the best K9's have.

In Comradeshipness,
-Mikhail

I understand completely. Especially about the smiley thing. I was not aware that the little winkie thing automatically rendered a smiley till the other day one of my post showed up with that. Hideous! But there is certainly something to be said for progressive smileys!